Telecommunication interconnection networks serve to interconnect telephone companies local access transport area networks such that a calling party located within a telephone company local access transport area network and having subscribed to a telecommunication interconnection network service may be connected by the telecommunication interconnection network to a called party located in a different local access transport area network of the same telephone company or of a different telephone company. Typically, a telecommunication interconnection network may have a large number of switching systems that are coupled by access lines with telephone company local access transport area network switching systems. The telecommunication interconnection network switching systems are also interconnected with each other by trunks and by data links to a common channel system. The common channel system is a data packet network and serves to control the telecommunication interconnection network switching systems to selectively interconnect trunks with access lines to couple a calling party with a called party.
The telecommunication interconnection network also provides enhanced services to a network user by use of network control points. A network control point may be, although not necessarily limited thereto, considered as a part of the common channel system. Typically, a network control point comprises a computer system configured to provide enhanced services, such as 800 and 900 service, to users of the network. In 800 service operation, telephone company calling party may place a call to a called party having subscribed to 800 service by dialing the 800 number of the called party. The calling party is connected via the telephone company local access transport area network over an access line with a switching system of the telephone communication network. Upon receipt of the called 800 number, the telephone communication network switching prepares a data packet identifying the called 800 number which is transmitted over data links of the common channel system to the network control point. The receiving network control point translates the received called party number into information that is transmitted back to the telephone communication network switching system. The information controls the telephone communication network switching systems to interconnect one of the trunks with the access lines to establish a connection between the calling party and the called party identified by the 800 number.
It is desirable that the enhanced services available to users of the telecommunication interconnection network also be made available to telephone company customers located in a local access transport area network. Thus, telecommunication interconnection network enhanced services, such as 800 and 900 type services, could be offered customers within a local access transport area network so that a calling party located within the local access transport area network may by dialing the appropriate called party number be connected by local access transport area network switching systems with the called party in accordance with provisions of the enhanced services. In addition, telephone local access transport areas also serve data systems that exchange data packets with data systems in the local access transport area and with data systems located in other local transport areas. In contrast to sending data messages by voice telephone or leased data lines, it is desirable that the data systems be coupled with a network apparatus arranged to transport data packets between originating and destination data systems.
A problem arises that in the present network structure data and selected local access transport area switching systems are connected by access lines with certain telecommunication interconnection network switching systems. A calling party dialed number must be transmitted over an established access line connection to a telecommunication: interconnection network switching system to initiate a request for enhanced services. Another problem arises in that charges are accessed against a call connection established between the calling and called parties. No provision is currently available to charge for data packet use of or for the transport of a data package through the telecommunication interconnection network common channel system.